Ecology of beach wrack in northern New England with special reference to Orchestia platensis

The northern New England beach wrack community with special reference to the cosmopolitan amphipod crustacean, Orchestia platensis, was examined at estuarine and open coastal habitats. Beach wrack was dominated by the plant genera Ascophyllum, Zostera, Spartina and Chondrus, and was most abundant during spring and late summer. Animal community numbers, biomass and frequency in fresh to moderately decomposed wrack were dominated by O. platensis throughout the year at all habitats; oligochaetes and Collembola were also important. The abundance of O. platensis showed high spatial and temporal variability, with low abundance generally associated with decreased amounts of wrack during colder months. An exception was the winter presence of the species at one estuarine habitat, in patchy aggregations within gravel-cobble refuges. The abundance of O. platensis averaged 1280 (0.04 m²)⁻¹, with a maximum of 7040 (0.04 m²)⁻¹. The life cycle of O. platensis is bivoltine, with summer-hatched young reaching maturity within 1 month. Laboratory studies indicate females with up to 4 broods (30 days)⁻¹, averaging 18 eggs brood⁻¹.Orchestia platensis is omnivorous, eating fresh plant tissue, live oligochaetes, Limulus eggs and diatom ‘fuzz’. The rate of laboratory consumption of algae and Zostera was 0.05 mg plant mg⁻¹ wet body weight day⁻¹. Presumptive predators of O. platensis are juvenile green crab, Carcinus maenus, and the earwig. Anisolabis maritima. The mobility, aggregation and aggressiveness of O. platensis assist the species in establishing and maintaining populations in the rigorous wrack habitat. The general competitive superiority of O. platensis over its congener, O. gammarella, and the co-occurrence of these species on both eastern and western Atlantic shores is discussed.     

Influence of prey abundance and abiotic factors on the long-term home-range and movement dynamics of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii in an intermittently open estuary

Long-term home-range and movement dynamics of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii and the distribution of their dominant prey, the sandprawn Callichirus kraussi, were investigated in the intermittently open East Kleinemonde Estuary, South Africa. In addition, the effects of fish length, diel cycle, season and other abiotic factors on home range and area use were examined. Nine adult spotted grunter (326–489?mm total length) were tagged with acoustic transmitters, and their movements were studied by manual tracking on six consecutive days and nights during each of five tracking sessions from March to November 2004. In addition, movement patterns were recorded by stationary data-logging receivers. Kernel home ranges (95% utilised distribution) varied in size (mean: 76 797?m²?, range: 26 296–165 321?m²), but were all located in the lower one-third of the 3.6 km-long estuary. There was no effect of season, the diel cycle or fish length on the home-range estimates. However, the distribution of prey corresponded with the home-range distribution of tagged fish. Although sandprawn distribution was highly variable within and among transects and depth classes, sandprawns were most abundant in the lower region of the estuary, which corresponded to the home-range distribution of spotted grunter. Spatial distribution of prey appears to be a dominant factor influencing home-range parameters of this species within an intermittently open estuary.     

Age and growth of Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi (Pisces: Sparidae) in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

Rhabdosargus holubi is a small (maximum weight=2.4?kg) yet important fishery species in the estuaries of the south-east coast of South Africa. Little is known of its biology and specifically its growth rate, which is essential for sustainable management of the fishery. We examined and counted the opaque zones in the sectioned otoliths of 134 R. holubi to determine its age and growth parameters. The otoliths from two recaptured fish marked with oxytetracycline confirmed that one opaque zone was deposited annually. The species reached a maximum age of 18 years and growth was adequately described by a von Bertalanffy growth function of the form: L_t = 358.1 (1 – e^{?0.24(t+0.77)}) mm fork length. There were no significant differences between any of the male and female growth parameters (likelihood ratio test: p = 0.3). The growth was slow (omega index: ω = 86.56); however, despite this, the unique life history of R. holubi may provide a degree of resilience to heavy fishing pressure in estuaries.     

Numerical study on salinity stratification in the Pamlico River Estuary

The variations of current circulation, salt intrusion, and vertical stratification under different river flow and wind conditions in the Pamlico River Estuary (PRE) were investigated in this paper using a three-dimensional numerical model. The model was calibrated and verified against water level variation, temperature, and salinity variations during 2003 and 2001, respectively. Eight sensitivity tests were conducted with different river flow and wind conditions specified in the model. Model results show that salinity intruded further upstream under scenarios with low flow, downriver local wind, and remote-wind-caused water level set-up conditions. In contrast, the responses of salinity stratification to different environmental forcing functions were different in different portions of the estuary. Salinity stratification was enhanced under high flow condition at the lower part of the estuary, under upriver wind near the river mouth, under downriver wind at the upstream to middle portion of the estuary, and under remote-wind-caused water level set-up condition at the majority of the estuary except near the river mouth. Model results also show that across-channel wind tended to reduce salt intrusion and salinity stratification in the PRE through increased vertical mixing.     

黄河三角洲孤东近岸冲淤演变及其影响因素

为更好地了解近40年来孤东近岸的演变过程,以研究区剖面水深地形、Landsat影像和利津站水沙数据为数据源,采用遥感技术及数理统计法对研究区域岸线及面积变化进行监测计算,并分析1976—1986年、1986—1996年、1996—2002年、2002—2014年4个不同阶段的冲淤演变及影响因素。结果表明:(1)孤东近岸经历"强淤积-冲淤平衡-侵蚀-强侵蚀"4个阶段。孤东近岸海域由淤积向侵蚀转变始于1996年,且在2002—2014年间侵蚀最为严重,大部分近岸海域蚀深达到6～8 m,侵蚀最大深度超过8 m;(2)等深线变化时空差异明显,蚀退最先出现在北侧,且近岸5 m水深区域内冲淤变化较水深10 m内敏感;(3)研究区近岸侵蚀,离岸淤积,剖面冲淤平衡位置由CS19剖面的11 m水深变化到CS21剖面的5m水深;(4)黄河入海水沙的减少、河口人工改汊、孤东大堤建设和海洋动力作用都对孤东近岸的冲淤演变产生影响,维持研究区冲淤平衡的年均来沙阈值为3.78亿t/a。通过此来进一步探究孤东近岸演变进程,为孤东近岸防护提供科学指导。     

近30年长江口海域生态系统健康状况及变化趋势研究

为评估长江口海域生态系统健康状况,本文以鱼类浮游生物为指示生物,选择1986年、1999年、2007年和2016年4个年份的数据,选取鱼类浮游生物总种类数、底栖鱼种类数、水层鱼种类数、低耐污鱼种类数、高耐污鱼种类数百分比、杂食性鱼种类数百分比、虫食性鱼种类数百分比、肉食性鱼种类数百分比、鱼类取样个体数、天然杂交种种类数百分比等10个评价指标,采用1、3、5赋值法计算4个不同年份的河口生物完整性指数(Estuarine Biotic Integrity Index,EBI),并以此评价近30年长江口海域生态系统健康状况变化趋势。结果显示,1986年、1999年、2007年和2016年4个不同年份的EBI值分别是52、40、36、34,对应的EBI等级分别为“好”、“一般”、“一般?差”、“差”。通过分析EBI年际变化的结果,发现近30年来长江口海域生态系统健康状况呈现先下降,而后稳定在较低水平的趋势,说明长江口海域生态系统亟需及时进行保护和修复工作。     

长江口扁担沙动力地貌变化过程研究

河口浅滩不仅为人类提供宝贵湿地资源,而且是调控河势演变的重要因素。研究河口浅滩动力地貌演变规律对航道整治、湿地生态开发及岸堤防护等具有重要价值。本文利用最近150多年的长江口历史海图资料、实测水深与水文泥沙数据,分析长江口南支最大的浅滩—扁担沙动力地貌演变格局及其变化机制。结果表明:(1) 1860?2016年期间,扁担沙反复历经淤积?冲刷?淤积,浅滩由最初水下阴滩发育出露而形成纺锤状沙体,随后演变为细长扁担状,沙尾切滩成爪状沙体,下扁担沙则伴随爪状缝隙被不断填充而淤长;(2)自1954年洪水到目前,扁担沙?2 m、?5 m等深线包络的面积与体积整体上均呈现增长态势,其中面积年均增长率分别为0.88 km2/a和0.81 km2/a,体积年均增长率分别为1.3×106 m3/a和5×106 m3/a;扁担沙浅滩在不同时期冲淤变化不同,其中1998年出现大幅度冲刷,平均冲刷厚度达到1.4 m;(3)扁担沙体积变化和长江入海泥沙的增减无直接联系,但与入海径流量的变化密切相关;(4)白茆沙“南强北弱”的河势、南北港分流工程以及东风西沙水库的建立导致扁担沙向北推移。     

河口海岸环境沉积速率研究方法

沉积速率是河口海岸沉积环境的重要参数，对于河口海岸地质历史时期沉积速率的研究，大多采用^14C年龄值计算；现代河口海岸沉积速率的研究方法较多，常见的有河流输沙法，海图对比法，GIS法，放射性同位素测年法等。^14C法结合考古，孢粉等方法，能比较真实地反映河口海岸地质历史时期的沉积速率，对于现代河口海岸沉积，由于GIS和DEM方法的发展和计算机功能的支持，使海图对比的方法克服了手工带来的误差，目前仍然是一种可以使用的方法。放射性同位素^210Pb,^137Cs,^239,240Pu法使沉积速率的计算趋于定量化，在一定时间区域范围内，多种同位素测年同时运用，相互印证，从而使河口现代沉积速率更加准确。     

舟山海域陆源溶解有机质变化及其对近岸羽状流的响应

2007年夏季在东海舟山海域河口锋区开展了陆源溶解有机质的调查研究。测定了有色溶解有机质(CDOM)在激发波长370 nm/发射波长460 nm处的荧光强度和在λ=355 nm处的吸收系数,用于代表陆源CDOM浓度,并测定了荧光指数以指示CDOM来源。结果表明,CDOM的荧光值和紫外吸收系数之间呈显著正相关性,陆源CDOM浓度大体有向海方向降低的趋势,但是纵向上存在一些"突跃"现象。在舟山海域东北角不时观测到表层水体含有高浓度的CDOM,但变异性很大,推测可能该海区受到长江口羽状流的影响。在连续观测站发现陆源CDOM浓度在低平潮时往往比高平潮时要高。河海水在混合过程中CDOM浓度与盐度呈显著的线性负相关关系。在低盐度的悬沙锋区(S<24)CDOM浓度明显低于理论稀释值,而在较高盐度的羽状锋区,CDOM浓度接近于理论稀释值。在盐度为24~31范围内,大部分水样的荧光指数在1.50上下波动,表明其中CDOM来源以陆地来源为主;在较低盐度(S<24)的水样中荧光指数在1.70至1.90以上,表明CDOM以海洋来源为主,这与其陆源组分在高浊度的低盐度区存在显著的去除过程有关。研究表明,舟山海域水质存在着显著的变异性,与近岸羽状流密切相关,陆源溶解有机质的分布特征对此有较好的响应。